The APP Tour Championships Wrap Up the 2025 Season with Thrilling Finals

Fort Lauderdale, Florida became the epicenter of competitive pickleball this past weekend as The Fort hosted the APP Tour Championships, bringing the 2025 season to a dramatic close. This wasn’t just another tournament on the calendar—it was the final Major of the year, featuring prize payouts worth 1.5 times the standard open level events. The elevated stakes brought out exceptional performances from players eager to end their season on a high note, and the results delivered plenty of memorable moments that will resonate through the offseason.

The championship event showcased the depth of talent on the APP Tour, with established stars defending their reputations while rising players announced themselves as forces to be reckoned with heading into next season. The weekend featured all five divisions—men’s singles, women’s singles, men’s doubles, women’s doubles, and mixed doubles—each providing its own narrative arc and unforgettable highlights.

Will Howells Dominates with Double Gold Performance

Will Howells walked away from the APP Tour Championships as the undisputed star of the weekend, claiming gold medals in both mixed doubles and men’s doubles. His performance throughout the tournament demonstrated why he’s become one of the most formidable players on tour, combining strategic intelligence with consistent execution under pressure.

In mixed doubles, Howells partnered with Bobbi Oshiro to create what can only be described as a dominant run through the bracket. The pair lost just one game across their five matches, demonstrating a level of consistency that few teams could match. Their only stumble came during the semifinals against Ronan Camron and Kat Stewart, who managed to take the opening game 13-11. However, Howells and Oshiro quickly regrouped, dismantling their opponents 11-4 and 11-7 in the subsequent games to advance to the finals.

The championship match pitted Howells and Oshiro against Sofia Sewing and Casey Diamond, a pairing that had shocked the bracket by upsetting Megan Fudge and Jack Munro in the semifinals. Sewing and Diamond had demolished Fudge and Munro with an 11-1, 11-6 victory, suggesting they had found a rhythm at exactly the right moment. But whatever magic they’d discovered in the semis couldn’t carry them past Howells and Oshiro, who controlled the finals from start to finish, winning 11-6, 11-8 to claim the mixed doubles title.

Howells wasn’t done yet. In men’s doubles, he teamed with Jack Munro to replicate the same pattern of dominance, losing only one game throughout their entire tournament run. That single game came in the quarterfinals when Brandon Fritze and Jordan Chrysostom caught them off guard, taking the opening game 11-5. The loss seemed to flip a switch for Howells and Munro, who responded with an absolutely crushing 22-8 run over the next two games to eliminate the threat and move forward.

The men’s doubles final featured Howells and Munro against Tanner Tomassi and Richard Livornese Jr., another team hoping to cap their season with a Major championship. But Howells and Munro had too much firepower and experience, controlling both games to win 11-6, 11-7. The victory marked the eighth gold medal for the duo on the APP Tour in 2025, tying them for the single-season record—an extraordinary accomplishment that speaks to their consistency throughout the year.

“It’s been an absolute blast playing with Jack this year,” Howells reflected after the victory. “We have great chemistry, we’re good friends off the court, so it really means a lot to us.” The partnership between Howells and Munro has become one of the most successful in professional pickleball, and tying the single-season record provides a fitting punctuation mark on their 2025 campaign.

Sofia Sewing and Shelby Bates Claim Women’s Doubles Gold

While Howells dominated the men’s side, Sofia Sewing proved she could compete at the highest level across multiple disciplines. Partnering with Shelby Bates in women’s doubles, Sewing claimed her second gold medal of 2025 in that division, demonstrating that their partnership has evolved into one of the most dangerous in the women’s game.

The path to gold required defeating some of the tour’s best players. In the semifinals, Bates and Sewing faced Christine Maddox and Simone Jardim, a formidable pairing with extensive championship pedigree. The match followed a wild trajectory, with Maddox and Jardim winning the first game 11-7, only to see Bates and Sewing completely reverse the momentum, winning game two 11-2. The decisive third game remained competitive throughout, but Bates and Sewing found another gear when it mattered, closing out the match 11-5 to advance to the finals.

The championship match represented the ultimate test: Megan Fudge and Jill Braverman, widely considered the best women’s doubles team throughout the 2025 season. Fudge and Braverman had dominated the division for most of the year, making them the clear favorites heading into the finals. What followed was a match that lived up to the billing, with momentum swinging back and forth between the two teams.

Bates and Sewing struck first, winning the opening game 11-5 and putting immediate pressure on the favorites. Fudge and Braverman responded in game two, evening the match with an 11-8 victory and setting up a winner-take-all third game. The decisive game appeared to be slipping away from Bates and Sewing when they fell behind 2-5, a deficit that seemed insurmountable given the quality of their opponents.

Recognizing the critical moment, Bates and Sewing called a timeout, hoping to halt Fudge and Braverman’s momentum before heading into the side switch. The tactical pause proved to be the turning point of the match. Rather than going into the switch down 6-2, Bates and Sewing emerged from the timeout with renewed focus and energy. What happened next shocked everyone watching: they rattled off nine consecutive points, completely overwhelming Fudge and Braverman to win game three 11-5 and claim the championship.

The comeback victory showcased not just the technical skills of Bates and Sewing, but their mental toughness and ability to execute under extreme pressure. Defeating the season’s dominant team in such dramatic fashion provided the perfect ending to their tournament.

Breakthrough Singles Champions Emerge

While the doubles divisions featured established champions adding to their trophy collections, the singles competitions told a different story—one of breakthrough performances and first-time champions seizing their moment on the biggest stage.

Seone Mendez has been building momentum throughout the latter part of 2025, steadily improving her results and climbing the rankings. At the APP Tour Championships, everything came together in spectacular fashion. Her run to the title included a statement victory in the Round of 16, where she upset top-seeded Sofia Sewing in a thrilling three-game match, 15-11 in the deciding game. The victory announced to the rest of the draw that Mendez was playing at an elite level and wouldn’t be intimidated by reputation or seeding.

The finals pitted Mendez against Kat Stewart, another player who had fought through a difficult bracket to reach the championship match. Both players displayed exceptional shot-making and court coverage throughout, but Mendez maintained her composure during the crucial points. She won the match 15-10, 16-14, claiming her first gold medal on the APP Tour and capping a remarkable late-season surge that has established her as a player to watch heading into 2026.

The men’s singles final provided perhaps the most inspiring story of the entire weekend. Ryler DeHeart, competing at age 41, won his first-ever singles title on the APP Tour in a match that exemplified the grinding, physical nature of high-level pickleball. His opponent, Dusty Boyer, pushed him to the absolute limit in both games, but DeHeart refused to break, winning 16-14, 16-14 in one of the most closely contested finals in recent memory.

Both games featured numerous lead changes and critical momentum shifts, with neither player able to pull away decisively. The mental and physical endurance required to win two games that each required 16 points cannot be overstated—every point carried massive weight, and the margin for error essentially disappeared. DeHeart’s ability to maintain his level of play and make winning plays in those pressure-packed moments speaks to years of experience and an unshakeable competitive mindset.

DeHeart’s post-match interview quickly became legendary among those in attendance, capturing the raw emotion and joy of achieving a long-sought goal. At 41, many athletes are winding down their competitive careers, but DeHeart proved that championship-level pickleball rewards experience, strategic thinking, and mental toughness just as much as pure athleticism.

Understanding the Significance of the APP Tour Championships

For those new to competitive pickleball or just beginning to follow the professional game, it’s worth taking a moment to understand what made this particular tournament so significant and why the results matter beyond just adding names to a trophy.

Professional pickleball operates on a tour structure similar to tennis, with players competing in events throughout the year to earn ranking points and prize money. The APP Tour (Association of Pickleball Professionals) represents one of the major professional circuits, hosting tournaments across the United States where the world’s best players compete for championships and rankings.

Not all tournaments carry equal weight. The APP Tour designates certain events as “Majors,” which offer increased prize money and ranking points. The APP Tour Championships served as the final Major of 2025, making it essentially the season-ending championship where players could make one last push to improve their year-end rankings and claim a prestigious title.

The 1.5x prize payout mentioned at the beginning means players competed for 50% more prize money than they would earn at a standard open level event. This financial incentive, combined with the prestige of winning the season’s final Major, created an environment where every point mattered and the competition reached its highest level.

The format includes five separate divisions. Singles competitions feature individual players competing head-to-head. Doubles adds the complexity of team dynamics, with men’s doubles and women’s doubles featuring same-gender pairings, while mixed doubles pairs one man and one woman on each team. Many professional players compete in multiple divisions within the same tournament, testing both their physical endurance and mental focus across different styles of play.

Understanding the bracket structure helps make sense of how tournaments unfold. Players are seeded based on their rankings, with higher-ranked players theoretically having easier paths to the finals. Upsets—when lower-seeded players defeat higher-seeded opponents—create drama and can reshape the entire bracket. Mendez’s victory over top-seeded Sewing in women’s singles represented exactly this type of tournament-altering upset.

The scoring system in championship pickleball uses rally scoring, meaning a point is awarded after every rally regardless of which team served. Games are typically played to 11 points (or 15 in singles), and matches are usually best-of-three games. The close scores in DeHeart’s singles final—16-14, 16-14—indicate that games continued past 11 because players must win by at least two points, similar to deuce situations in tennis.

Complete Championship Results

The final medal standings for the APP Tour Championships showcased both dominant performances and hard-fought victories across all divisions.

In women’s singles, Seone Mendez claimed gold with her breakthrough performance, while Kat Stewart earned silver after a strong tournament run. Bobbi Oshiro took bronze, adding to her mixed doubles gold medal for an impressive multi-division showing.

Men’s singles saw Ryler DeHeart stand atop the podium with gold, while Dusty Boyer’s silver medal recognized his exceptional play throughout the tournament. Ronan Camron earned bronze, capping a solid performance that included reaching the mixed doubles semifinals.

Mixed doubles gold went to the dominant pairing of Bobbi Oshiro and Will Howells, with Sofia Sewing and Casey Diamond taking silver after their surprising semifinal upset. Jack Munro and Megan Fudge claimed bronze despite being upset before reaching the finals.

Women’s doubles featured the dramatic comeback victory by Shelby Bates and Sofia Sewing, who earned gold by defeating Megan Fudge and Jill Braverman in a thrilling final. Fudge and Braverman’s silver medal still represented a successful season as the division’s most consistent team. Bobbi Oshiro added another medal to her collection with bronze alongside partner Daria Walzcak.

Men’s doubles saw Jack Munro and Will Howells claim gold while tying the single-season record with their eighth championship. Tanner Tomassi and Richard Livornese Jr. earned silver after reaching the finals, while Mark Dancuart and Casey Diamond took bronze.

Looking Ahead to 2026

The APP Tour Championships provided a fitting conclusion to the 2025 season while simultaneously setting the stage for next year’s competition. Established stars like Will Howells proved they remain at the peak of the sport, while breakthrough performances from players like Seone Mendez and Ryler DeHeart demonstrated that pickleball’s competitive depth continues to grow.

The emergence of new champions creates intriguing storylines heading into 2026. Can Mendez build on her singles breakthrough and compete for titles throughout next season? Will DeHeart’s championship at 41 inspire other veteran players to extend their competitive careers? How will the established doubles teams respond to being pushed by rising partnerships?

For Howells and Munro, tying the single-season record for gold medals creates an obvious goal for 2026: breaking that record outright. Their chemistry and consistency throughout 2025 established them as the team to beat in men’s doubles, but the target on their backs will be even larger next season.

The women’s doubles division enters the offseason with fascinating questions. Fudge and Braverman dominated for most of 2025 but lost the season’s final Major to Bates and Sewing. Does that result represent a changing of the guard, or simply a tough loss that the dominant team will use as motivation? The rivalry between these teams should provide compelling drama throughout 2026.

The APP Tour Championships delivered everything fans could hope for from a season-ending Major: dominant champions, thrilling comebacks, breakthrough performances, and dramatic finishes. As players head into the offseason to rest and prepare, the results from Fort Lauderdale will fuel countless hours of training and provide motivation for those seeking to claim championship glory when competitive pickleball returns in 2026.

The continued growth of professional pickleball means that next season will likely feature even deeper fields, larger prize pools, and more competitive balance across all divisions. The sport’s evolution shows no signs of slowing, and the 2025 APP Tour Championships provided the perfect snapshot of pickleball at its highest level—athletic, strategic, dramatic, and accessible to players of varying ages and backgrounds. That combination continues to drive the sport’s explosive growth and ensures that the 2026 season will bring even more memorable moments and championship performances.